Steyer Blog

Thanksgiving

November 28th, 2019

Small businesses: Get ready for your 1099-MISC reporting requirements

November 25th, 2019

A month after the new year begins, your business may be required to comply with rules to report amounts paid to independent contractors, vendors and others. You may have to send 1099-MISC forms to those whom you pay nonemployee compensation, as well as file copies with the IRS. This task can be time consuming and

Small businesses: Stay clear of a severe payroll tax penalty

November 18th, 2019

One of the most laborious tasks for small businesses is managing payroll. But it’s critical that you not only withhold the right amount of taxes from employees’ paychecks but also that you pay them over to the federal government on time. If you willfully fail to do so, you could personally be hit with the

Accelerate depreciation deductions with a cost segregation study

November 4th, 2019

Is your business depreciating over a 30-year period the entire cost of constructing the building that houses your operation? If so, you should consider a cost segregation study. It may allow you to accelerate depreciation deductions on certain items, thereby reducing taxes and boosting cash flow. And under current law, the potential benefits of a

Setting up a Health Savings Account for your small business

October 28th, 2019

Given the escalating cost of employee health care benefits, your business may be interested in providing some of these benefits through an employer-sponsored Health Savings Account (HSA). For eligible individuals, HSAs offer a tax-advantaged way to set aside funds (or have their employers do so) to meet future medical needs. Here are the key tax

Understanding and controlling the unemployment tax costs of your business

October 21st, 2019

As an employer, you must pay federal unemployment (FUTA) tax on amounts up to $7,000 paid to each employee as wages during the calendar year. The rate of tax imposed is 6% but can be reduced by a credit (described below). Most employers end up paying an effective FUTA tax rate of 0.6%. An employer

The chances of an IRS audit are low, but business owners should be prepared

October 14th, 2019

Many business owners ask: How can I avoid an IRS audit? The good news is that the odds against being audited are in your favor. In fiscal year 2018, the IRS audited approximately 0.6% of individuals. Businesses, large corporations and high-income individuals are more likely to be audited but, overall, audit rates are historically low.

How to treat your business website costs for tax purposes

October 7th, 2019

These days, most businesses need a website to remain competitive. It’s an easy decision to set one up and maintain it. But determining the proper tax treatment for the costs involved in developing a website isn’t so easy. That’s because the IRS hasn’t released any official guidance on these costs yet. Consequently, you must apply

5 ways to withdraw cash from your corporation while avoiding dividend treatment

September 23rd, 2019

Do you want to withdraw cash from your closely held corporation at a low tax cost? The easiest way is to distribute cash as a dividend. However, a dividend distribution isn’t tax-efficient, since it’s taxable to you to the extent of your corporation’s “earnings and profits.” But it’s not deductible by the corporation. Different approaches

The key to retirement security is picking the right plan for your business

September 16th, 2019

If you’re a small business owner or you’re involved in a start-up, you may want to set up a tax-favored retirement plan for yourself and any employees. Several types of plans are eligible for tax advantages. 401(k) plan One of the best-known retirement plan options is the 401(k) plan. It provides for employer contributions made